Carton bottoming machine



March 8, 193% D. wooD CARTON BOTTOMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 49W aroma,

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CARTON- BOTTOMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 CARTON BOTTOMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 'GARTON BO-TTOMING MACHINE Dennis Wood, Stanmore, England Application November 16, 1936, Serial No. 111,116 In Great Britain November 18, 1935 5 Claims.

This invention relates to cartons of cylindrical, frusto-conical or other shape, made from paper, cardboard or the like, and subsequently impregnated with wax or other proofing material -to render the cartons liquid-tight. I

The invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for fitting the bottoms to carton bodies, consisting of cylindrical, frustoconical or other sleeves open at both ends, made for example by folding or rolling blanks round a mandrel and securing the overlapping edges together by a longitudinal seam.

According to the present invention, the carton bodies are fed into a drum or rotor revolving intermittently on a horizontal axis and provided with a plurality of pockets toreceive the carton bodies, which enter in a substantially horizontal direction, for example on the rising side of the drum, each carton being carried round to a positons such as milk bottles, the bottoms will be inserted in the ends projecting outwardly of the drum or rotor, that is the wider ends of the frus'to-conical bodies; but in the case of inverted pyramidal or frusto-conical cartons such as the tubs employed for cream, the, bottoms will be inserted in the narrow ends of the bodies, that is the ends lying inwards of the pockets in the drum, the plunger being given a longer stroke,

and the pockets if desired being provided with grooving means for producing a suitable seating in the carton toretain the disc.

The drum is preferably provided with two or more sets of pockets, which may be spaced in parallel planes along its axis, two or more car- 'ton bodies or sleeves being fed into horizontally aligned pockets at the same time. This may be eiiected by passing the carton bodies from the forming machine successively on to a sliding or rocking holder which is oscillated in relation to "the movements of the forming machine and adapted to take two or more of the carton bodies as they are delivered singly from the machine; when the holder has received its complement of carton bodies, they are fed simultaneously into the pockets of the bottoming drum or rotor, for

example by a continued movement of the transfer device, the holder then returning to its initial position for receiving the next carton body.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-- 7

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the improved machine. in one form of construction, an end plate being removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, part of the operating mechanism being removed.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are part-sectional elevations, Figs. 3 and 4 on a larger scale and Fig. 5 on a still larger scale, showing details as hereafter mentioned.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottoming machine may be conveniently located alongside a forming machine which produces the carton bodies to be fitted with bottoms; the forming machine is represented by a rotary standard 65, the blanks being fed forward at one radial position, folded around mandrels 67 on the rotary standard and carried round by the mandrels through about three-quarters of the revolutionof the standard, the formed sleeves being delivered in a direction at right angles to the feeding of the blanks,.by means of a transfer device HI. 1 One of the formed carton. bodies or sleeves is indicated at :r.

The bottoming machine comprises essentially a drum or rotor l9 revolving intermittently on a horizontal axis under the control of a Maltese cross or Geneva mechanism vI I, l2, this rotor being provided with radial pockets Hi to receive the carton bodies which enter horizontally on the side nearest to the forming machine while the rotor is momentarily stationary; the pockets are arranged in pairs in radial alignment, two carton bodies being fed simultaneously into place at each momentary'stoppage of the rotor.

Between the forming and bottoming machinesthere is arranged a holder l l2 having two partconical rests or receptacles for carton bodies, which is oscillated in relation to the movements of the forming machine so as to receive the bodies 45 delivered from the'latter; when the holder has received a carton body upon one rest, it rocks to displace the carton b-odylaterally. The next movement of the'transfer device Ill carries a second carton body from the forming machine on to the other rest of the holder I I2 and thence by a continued movementinto a pocket It of the rotor l6, while at the same time the first carton body lying in the first-mentioned rest of the holder is carried into the adjacent pocket at 5 the same level in the rotor, by the movement of an auxiliary transfer device H3.. Thus the main transfer device II I, which isslidably operated by a link H4 from a lever H5 driven bya face cam II 6 in relation to the forming machine, makes alternate short and long strokes, a short stroke in order to carry a formed carton body into the holder H2 and then a long stroke to carry the next one over the other rest of the holder into a rotor pocket, while the first body is carried into the adjacent pocket from the holder now occupying its laterally displaced position. The strokes of the two transfer devices synchronize and may be produced by the same cam H6, the auxiliary transfer device H3 being operated by a lever I I1 secured to the rock shaft H8. The oscillating movements of the holder H2 are produced by a bell crank lever H9 which is pivoted at I26 and operated by a cam I2I on the same shaft I22 as the face cam I I6.

' The pockets I3 are shown as of frusto-conical shape, to suit the shape of the carton bodies or sleeves m, but if desired the pockets may be-made pyramidal or prismatic, to receive frusto-conical or cylindrical bodies which are then pressed to pyramidal or prismatic shape by the entrance of a correspondingly shaped mandrel after'the bodies or sleeves have been carried into place by the transfer device. Y

Any number of pockets may be provided, for example sixteen arranged in pairs, the drum III then moving through 45 degrees at each step of its intermittent rotation; by providing the twosets of pockets, fed by the oscillating holder and transfer devices, the speed of rotation of the drum I6 can be halved as compared with that of a forming machine producing eight carton bodies at each revolution, so as to allow more time for the operations necessary in inserting. and securing thebottoms of the cartons. If desired, the speed of the bottoming machine can be further reducedby providing three or more sets of pockets I3, for example twenty-four pockets in threes, the holder and transfer devices then having a three-fold motion.

Assuming that the drum is provided with eight pairs'of pockets, and rotates through 45 degrees at each step, thefirst position of the pockets I3 will allow of receiving two sleeves 'ifmm the forming'machine, these sleeves being fed axially and in a substantially horizontal position, one

directly from the forming machine and the other from the rocking holder, into a pair of pockets I3 occupying horizontal positions on the side of the drum III which is in the course of its upward movement; V I v .If the carton bodies are to be formed with steps or grooves to receive and locate the discs constituting the bottoms of the cartons, these steps may be formed when pushing the sleeves into the drum by means of the transfer device I I I, or at the next position-of. the drum by separate punches I4 acting obliquely at an angle of 45. Again, the punches at this second position can be utilized to force the carton bodies down into the pockets I3 if'the shape is to be modified to conform tothe pockets as mentioned above, the. ends of the bodies beingin allcases of circular shape. At thethird position, which is .at the top of the drum, two discs I5, made of paper or cardboard, are pushed down into the respective carton bodies by vertical plungers I6, which act as punches to cut out the discs from two webs I'I, I6 of paper or like material drawn from separatestorage reels I9, 26 and fed across ring-dies 7 2I through which the plungers I6 descend; the webs are fed by means of rollers 22 driven bya gear wheel 23 secured to the drum III.

If the bottoms are to be secured at the narrow ends of the carton, as in the case of cream tubs and the like, each plunger canies the disc I5 right down inside the sleeve until it reaches a point just short of the end, where a seating may be provided bythe inturnedrim of the sleeve one of the vertical plungers I6, fitted with an outer sleeve 24 slidable ina fixed guide barrel 25; the plunger is formed with a central passage 26 through which suction is applied to the lower end when the plunger descends. This plunger is operated at its upper end by a lever 21 rocking upon a pivot 28 under the control of a second lever arm 29 having its roller-fitted end engaged by a cam 30. The sleeve 24' is operated by a lever 3I pivoted at 32, the end of this lever being connected by a link 33 to a rocking lever 34 operated by a link 35 from a bell crank 36 having its roller-fitted end engaged by the same cam 30, as seen in Fig. 1. The web of paper or the like passes between the bottom of the barrel 25 and a fixed ring die 2I so that the downward movement of the sleeve punches out a disc of paper, which is then carried down by the descending plunger I6 into the carton body .1 supported in the pocket I3. A pair of caps 38 facing the inner ends of the two vertical pockets in this position, are mounted on a lever 39 operated by a cam 46 upon the driving shaft H of the Maltese cross mechanism; each cap 38 comprises a central plug 42 which formsa stop for the disc when inserted by the plunger I6, thuspreventing any distortion at the bottom of the carton. At the next position, the wide end of each carton body, projecting outside the pocket I3, is inturned by means of beading rollers 43 (see Fig. 4) mounted upon a rotary head 44 advanced in a radial direction towards the drum, the spindle 45 of the rotary head being driven by an electricmotor 46 through a pinion 41 and gearwheel 48; the latter has wide teeth to allow for the axial movement of the spindle which is produced by a bell crank lever 49 of which the roller-fitted end engages with the cam 36. The intumed portion of the carton body is smoothed at the next or fifth position by a rotary plunger 50, which co-operateswith a circumferential groove 5I in the wall of the pocket .to produce a step or recess intended to accom- Fig. 5 shows more clearly the arrangement of one of these rotary plungers; the spindle 53, slid-r ably journaled in guides 54, carries a rotary head 55 having a pair of grooving rollers 56. This spindle, which is fed. forward by the lever 51 the carton body by a cone 6| slidable in the interior of the spindle 53 by a second cam-operated lever 62, the rollers being normally held inwards by springs 63; heating coils 64 supplied with current by slip rings 65, may be mounted on the rotary head, as shown.v At the seventh position the cartons are ejected vertically downwards by plungers 66 working inside the drum and engaging the narrow ends of the cartons; these plungers are operated by levers 61, 68 and a link 69 from the cam 10 upon the driving shaft M, pushing out the cartons on to a conveyor H which transfers them to the waxing or proofing apparatus.

If however the bottoms are to be secured at the outer or wide ends of the cartons, as in the case of milk bottles and the like-each plunger 3 at the third or top position of the drum Ill forces the disc l5 only into the Wide end of the carton body, this disc being preferably flanged in the well known manner by the ring die 2|, and the disc being secured in place by rolling down the rim of the sleeve by means of suitable rollers at one or more of the positions designated fourth, fifth and sixth. During or after the rolling operation, pressure may be applied in a radial direction so as to provide a neat finish to the rim of the carton. Ejection takes place at the lowermost position, as in the previous case, by cam-operated plungers engaging the narrow ends of the cartons.

The various operations are controlled so as to take place in proper relation to the rotation of the drum l0, suitable operating cams being secured as already mentioned upon the driving shaft 4|, which may itself be driven through bevel wheels 12 by the same shaft as the forming machine in order tomaintain regularity of output. After the bottoms have been fitted in the carton bodies, the latter are impregnated with wax or other proofing material, being then ready for filling and subsequent capping by means for example of a sealing disc pressed into place upon the internal step formed by the plunger after the inturning of the narrow end of the carton body in the forming machine.

What I claim is:-

l. A carton bottoming machine, comprising a rotor having radially disposed pockets adapted to receive carton bodies, said pockets being located in sets in parallel transverse planes of said rotor, means for rotating said rotor intermittently on a horizontal axis, means for feeding openended carton bodies into a plurality of said pockets occupying horizontal positions on the same side of said rotor during a pause in the intermittent rotation of said rotor, said feeding means including a holder for said carton bodies, a transfer device for bringing carton bodies singly into said holder, and auxiliary means for transferring a carton body from said holder into a pocket of said rotor simultaneously with the feeding of a carton body into a pocket of another set by said transfer device, means for inserting discs simultaneously into a plurality of said carton bodies at a subsequent position of said rotor, and means for ejecting a plurality of said carton bodies simultaneously from pockets occupying vertical positions at the bottom of said rotor.

2. A carton bottoming machine comprising a rotor mounted for intermittent rotation on a horizontal axis, said rotor having radially disposed pockets adapted to receive carton bodies, said pockets being arranged in a plurality of sets in parallel planes transverse to said axis, means for feeding a plurality of carton bodies into pockets occupying horizontal positions in different sets during a single pause in the rotation of said rotor, said feeding means including an oscillating holder adapted for alinement with pockets in different sets, a transfer device for bringing carton bodies singly into said holder, means for shifting said holder after receipt of each carton body, and an auxiliary device for transferring a carton body from said holder into a pocket of said rotor simultaneously with the feeding of a carton body into a pocket of a different set by said transfer device, and means for inserting a plurality of discs simultaneously into said carton bodies at a subsequent pause in the rotation of said rotor.

3. A carton bottoming machine comprising a rotor mounted for intermittent rotation on a horizontal axis, said rotor having radially disposed pockets adapted to receive carton bodies, said pockets being arranged in a plurality of sets in parallel planes transverse to said axis, means for feeding a carton body directly into a pocket occupying a horizontal position during a pause in the rotation of said rotor, auxiliary means for feeding another carton body into a pocket of a different set occupying a horizontal position on the same side of said rotor during said pause, said auxiliary means including a holder for carton bodies, said holder receiving a carton body from, said feeding means alternately of its direct feeding into said rotor, and a device operating in timed relation to said feeding means for transferring a carton body from said holder into said pocket of a different set, and means for inserting a plurality of discs simultaneously into said carton bodies during a subsequent pause in the rotation of said rotor.

4. A carton bottoming machine comprising a rotor mounted for intermittent rotation on a horizontal axis, said rotor having radially disposed pockets adapted to receive carton bodies, said pockets being arranged in a plurality of sets in parallel planes transverse to said axis, means for feeding a plurality of carton bodies into pockets occupying horizontal positions in different sets during a single pause in the rotation of said rotor, said feeding means including a transfer device having alternate long and short strokes, the long strokes of said transfer device feeding said carton bodies directly into said rotor, a holder for carton bodies, the short strokes of said transfer device feeding said carton bodies into said holder, and an auxiliary device for transferring carton bodies from said holder into said rotor, and means for inserting a plurality of discs simultaneously into said carton bodies during a subsequent pause in the rotation of said rotor.

5. A carton bottoming machine comprising a rotor mounted for intermittent rotation on a horizontal axis, said rotor having radially disposed pockets adapted to receive carton bodies, said pockets being arranged in a plurality of sets in parallel planes transverse to said axis, means for feeding a plurality of carton bodies into pockets occupying horizontal positions in dilferent sets during a single pause in the rotation of said rotor, said feeding means including a transfer device having alternate long and short strokes, the long strokes of said transfer device feeding said carton bodies directly into said rotor, a holder for carton bodies, the short strokes of said transfer device feeding said carton bodies into said holder, means for oscillating said holder between positions alined with respective pockets of different sets in said rotor, and an auxiliary device for transferring carton bodies from said holder in one of its positions in the pocket alined with said position, and means for inserting a plurality of discs simultaneously into said carton bodies during a subsequent pause in the rotation of said rotor.

DENNIS WOOD. 

